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Opinion | Making Greer Stadium into a park is the best decision for Nashville

George Anderson | Opinion
Published 3:00 p.m. CT April 25, 2018

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Mayor David Briley spoke on the coming demolition of Greer stadium
Joey Garrison

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Nashville Mayor David Briley walks inside Greer Stadium after speaking about the future of Fort Negley and Greer Stadium on Tuesday, March 13, 2018, in Nashville Tenn. He was joined by officials from the city parks department and historic preservation advocates. The fort and ballpark have been at the center of controversial redevelopment plans in recent months. Greer Stadium will be demolished and redeveloped into a park.(Photo: Mark Zaleski/For the Tennessean)Buy Photo

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George Anderson chairs the Metropolitan Board of Parks and Recreation.

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We all know that once you give up potential park land in an urban core of a growing city such as Nashville, it is difficult to ever get it back.

So many provided leadership – everyone involved in Friends of Fort Negley Park, Councilman John Cooper, Kix Brooks and eventually Mayor Briley.

There can be little question that the final outcome is what is best for Nashville, a fact underscored by Briley’s swift action the day after he became mayor, taking administrative action to protect the area with $1 million from the 4 percent fund to demolish Greer Stadium and pay for landscaping to open the space as a park.

Under Parks Director Monique Odom’s leadership, the Parks Department will conduct a transparent and open public engagement process for master planning uses and amenities for future generations.

George Anderson(Photo: Submitted)

We should be careful to ever surrender public park land – it is not easily reclaimed. It is natural in any booming city for development to eye park land as other space runs out – I’m seeing it more than ever.